Cerebral Josh King plots unusual route into Tuchel’s England plans

Armed with an impressive academic record and experience as a rugby fly-half, the teenager is anything but typical

Josh King is talking with pride about how his mother, Michelle, a university lecturer, has almost finished her PhD in sickle cell disease. The Fulham attacking midfielder, who is in the England squad for the Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain this week, mentions that his father, Steve, is a lawyer and says he might have liked to follow in his footsteps if it had not worked out for him on the pitch.

King’s background is not that of a typical footballer. Privately educated at Hampton School in south-west London, he aced his GCSEs, achieving A or A* in his 10 subjects.